A conventional method to produce an inlay site containing a high frequency RFID chip and an antenna embedded into a multi-layer substrate and connected to the terminals (terminal areas) of the RFID chip is to first position the RFID chip in a recess, supported by a lower substrate layer, then start embedding (countersinking) a wire conductor onto or into the top substrate layer in the direction of the RFID chip, then guiding the wire conductor over a first terminal area of the RFID chip, then continue the embedding process by forming an antenna in the top substrate layer with a given number of turns, then guiding the wire conductor over the second terminal area, and finally embedding the wire conductor again into the top substrate layer before cutting the wire to complete the high frequency transponder site. In a next stage of the production process, the wire ends passing over the terminal areas are interconnected by means of thermal compression bonding. Adhesively placing a wire conductor onto the top substrate layer is an alternative to embedding, and typically involves self-bonding coated wire conductor.
A wire embedding apparatus may be an ultrasonic wire guide tool, known as a “sonotrode”, with a wire feed channel (capillary) passing through the centre of the wire guide tool. The wire conductor is fed through the wire guide tool, emerges from the tip, and by application of pressure and ultrasonic energy the wire conductor is “rubbed” into the substrate, resulting in localised heating of the wire conductor and subsequent sinking of the wire conductor into the substrate material during the movement of the wire guide tool. A wire placement apparatus may also be an ultrasonic tool similar in function to an ultrasonic horn which heats the wire to form an adhesion with a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (“089 patent”), incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses device for bonding a wire conductor. Device for the contacting of a wire conductor in the course of the manufacture of a transponder unit arranged on a substrate and comprising a wire coil and a chip unit, wherein in a first phase the wire conductor is guided away via the terminal area or a region accepting the terminal area and is fixed on the substrate relative to the terminal area or the region assigned to the terminal area by a wire guide and a portal, and in a second phase the connection of the wire conductor to the terminal area is effected by means of a connecting instrument. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the 089 patent show a wire conductor 20 being embedded in a surface of a substrate 21, by the action of ultrasound. FIG. 3 of the 089 patent shows a wiring device 22 with an ultrasonic generator 34, suitable for embedding the wire. It is believed that the wiring device in the 089 patent can also be used for adhesively placing a wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,855, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a method and apparatus for facilitating interconnection of lead wires to an integrated circuit including the provision of an additional protective layer of insulation to the top of an integrated circuit chip or die and the provision of enlarged plated electrodes to the surface of the additional insulation to form enhanced bonding pads, such pads being electrically connected through the protective layers to the normal bonding pads of the integrated circuit device. The enhanced bonding pads are made of a soft conductive metal such that external wires to be attached thereto can be bonded to the pads using a thermal compression bonding technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,230, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses a procedure for producing a transponder unit (55) provided with at least one chip (16) and one coil (18), and in particular a chip card/chip-mounting board (17) wherein the chip and the coil are mounted on one common substrate (15) and the coil is formed by installing a coil wire (21) and connecting the coil-wire ends (19, 23) to the contact surfaces (20, 24) of the chip on the substrate.
Canada Patent Application CA 2555034 discloses a method for the production of a book-type security document with at least one security cambric (15) and at least one transponder unit (21), characterized in that: at least one laminated layer (22, 23) is applied at least on one side of the at least one security cambric (4 5) and on at least one side of the at least one transponder unit (21); the at least one security cambric (15) and the at least one transponder unit (21) are fully encompassed by the laminated layers (22, 23) and that a circumferential, closed edge (24) is provided by the laminated layers (22, 231, and that a laminated layer sheath (25) is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,022 discloses method for producing a contactless chip card and chip card. A method for producing a transponder, especially a contactless chip card (1) comprises at least one electronic component (chip module 2) and at least one antenna (3); the at least one electronic chip component (2) being disposed on a non-conducting substrate that serves as a support for the component. The at least one antenna is also disposed on a non-conducting substrate, the at least one electronic component (2) being applied to a first substrate and the antenna (3) on a second substrate. The entire circuit (1) is then produced by joining the individual substrates so that they are correctly positioned relative to each other. The components (2, 3) are contacted once the different substrates have been joined by means of auxiliary materials such as solder or glue, or without auxiliary materials by microwelding. The non-conducting substrates form a base card body.
PCT/US99/28795 (WO 00/36891), incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses methods for wire-scribing filament circuit patterns with planar and non-planar portions. An apparatus and method of forming filament circuit patterns with planar and non-planar portions and interconnection cards, smart cards or optical fiber circuit cards formed therefrom are provided. A filament circuit path is scribed by moving a filament guide and a substrate relative to one another, and dispensing a filament on, or in the vicinity of, a surface of the substrate. The filament or the substrate or both have adhesive surface(s). The adhesive surface is capable of being adhesively actuated by application of energy. Energy is applied simultaneous with, or subsequent to, scribing. A portion of the filament circuit pattern is planar and another portion is non-planar. The non-planar portion traverses but does not contact or adhere to a pre-selected area of the substrate. The pre-selected area corresponds with a pad, a contact pattern, a hole, a slot, a raised feature, a part of the previously scribed planar portion of the pattern, and a filament termination point. Alternately, the non-planar portion may be embedded below the surface of the substrate. Another planar portion of the filament circuit traverses the non-planar portion but does not contact or adhere to a pre-selected part of the previously scribed non-planar portion. According to the above method wire-scribed circuit boards are formed including interconnection cards, smart cards or optical fiber circuit cards.
An Inlay and Transponder of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an inlay substrate (or sheet) 100 having a plurality of transponder areas. A selected one of the transponder areas 102 constituting a single transponder is shown in detail. The vertical and horizontal dashed lines (in FIG. 1A) are intended to indicate that there may be additional transponder areas (and corresponding additional transponders) disposed to the left and right of, as well as above and below, the transponder area 102, on the inlay sheet 100. Such a plurality of transponders may be arranged in an array on the (larger) inlay sheet. As best viewed in FIG. 1B, the inlay sheet 100 may be a multi-layer substrate 104 comprising one or more upper (top) layers 104a and one or more lower (bottom) layers 104b. 
A recess 106 may be formed in (through) the upper layer 104a, at a “transponder chip site”, so that a transponder chip 108 may be disposed in the recess, and supported by the lower layer 104b. The transponder chip 108 is shown having two terminals 108a and 108b on a top surface thereof. The transponder chip 108 may be a chip module, or an RFID chip.
Generally, the recess 106 is sized and shaped to accurately position the transponder chip 108, having side dimensions only slightly larger than the transponder chip 108 to allow the transponder chip 108 to be located within the recess. For example,                1. the transponder chip 108 may measure: 5.0×8.0 mm        2. the recess 106 may measure: 5.1×8.1 mm        3. the terminals 108a/b may measure: 5.0×1.45 mm        4. the wire (discussed below) may have a diameter between 60 and 112 μmOne millimeter (mm) equals one thousand (1000) micrometers (μm, “micron”).        
In FIGS. 1A and 1B, the recess 106 may be illustrated with an exaggerated gap between its inside edges and the outside edges of the chip 108, for illustrative clarity. In reality, the gap may be only approximately 50 μm-100 μm (0.05 mm-0.1 mm).
In FIG. 1A the terminals 108a and 108b are shown reduced in size (narrower in width), for illustrative clarity. (From the dimensions given above, it is apparent that the terminals 108a and 108b can extend substantially the full width of the transponder chip 108.)
It should be understood that the transponder chip 108 is generally snugly received within the recess 106, with dimensions suitable that the chip 108 does not move around after being located within the recess 106, in anticipation of the wire ends 110a, 110b being bonded to the terminals 108a, 108b. As noted from the exemplary dimensions set forth above, only very minor movement of the chip 108, such as a small fraction of a millimeter (such as 50 μm-100 μm) can be tolerated.
As best viewed in FIG. 1A, an antenna wire 110 is disposed on a top surface (side) of the substrate, and may be formed into a flat (generally planar) coil, having two end portions 110a and 110b. 
As best viewed in FIG. 1B, the antenna wire is “mounted” to the substrate, which includes “embedding” (countersinking) the antenna wire into the surface of the substrate, or “adhesively placing” (adhesively sticking) the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate. In either case (embedding or adhesively placing), the wire typically feeds out of a capillary 116 of an ultrasonic wire guide tool (not shown). The capillary 116 is typically disposed perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 100. The capillary 116 is omitted from the view in FIG. 1A, for illustrative clarity.
The antenna wire 110 may be considered “heavy” wire (such as 60 μm-112 μm), which requires higher bonding loads than those used for “fine” wire (such as 30 μm). Rectangular section copper ribbon (such as 60×30 μm) can be used in place of round wire.
The capillary 116 may be vibrated by an ultrasonic vibration mechanism (not shown), so that it vibrates in the vertical or longitudinal (z) direction, such as for embedding the wire in the surface of the substrate, or in a horizontal or transverse (y) direction, such as for adhesively placing the wire on the surface of the substrate. In FIG. 1B, the wire 110 is shown slightly spaced (in drawing terminology, “exploded” away) from the substrate, rather than having been embedded (countersunk) in or adhesively placed (stuck to) on the surface of the substrate.
The antenna wire 110 may be mounted in the form of a flat coil, having two ends portions 110a and 110b. The ends portions 110a and 110b of the antenna coil wire 110 are shown extending over (FIG. 1A) and may subsequently be connected, such as by thermal-compression bonding (not shown), to the terminals 108a and 108b of the transponder chip 108, respectively.
Examples of embedding a wire in a substrate, in the form of a flat coil, and a tool for performing the embedding (and a discussion of bonding), may be found in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (refer, for example, to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 12 and 13 of the patent). It is known that a coated, self-bonding wire will stick to a synthetic (e.g., plastic) substrate because when vibrated sufficiently to soften (make sticky) the coating and the substrate.
In FIG. 1B, the wire 110 is shown slightly spaced (in drawing terminology, “exploded” away) from the terminals 108a/b of the transponder chip 108, rather than having been bonded thereto, for illustrative clarity. In practice, this is generally the situation—namely, the end portions of the wires span (or bridge), the recess slightly above the terminals to which they will be bonded, in a subsequent step. Also illustrated in FIG. 1B is a “generic” bond head, poised to move down (see arrow) onto the wire 110b to bond it to the terminal 108b. The bond head 118 is omitted from the view in FIG. 1A, for illustrative clarity.
The interconnection process can be inner lead bonding (diamond tool), thermal compression bonding (thermode), ultrasonic bonding, laser bonding, soldering, ColdHeat soldering (Athalite) or conductive gluing.
As best viewed in FIG. 1A, in case the antenna wire 110 needs to cross over itself, such as is illustrated in the dashed-line circled area “c” of the antenna coil, it is evident that the wire should typically be an insulated wire, generally comprising a metallic core and an insulation (typically a polymer) coating. Generally, it is the polymer coating that facilitates the wire to be “adhesively placed” on (stuck to) a plastic substrate layer. (It is not always the case that the wire needs to cross over itself. See, for example, FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089).
In order to feed the wire conductor back and forth through the ultrasonic wire guide tool, a wire tension/push mechanism (not shown) can be used or by application of compressed air it is possible to regulate the forward and backward movement of the wire conductor by switching the air flow on and off which produces a condition similar to the Venturi effect.
By way of example, the wire conductor can be self-bonding copper wire or partially coated self bonding copper wire, enamel copper wire or partially coated enamel wire, silver coated copper wire, un-insulated wire, aluminum wire, doped copper wire or litz wire.
FIG. 1A herein resembles FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (the '089 patent), which has a similar coil antenna (50) with an initial coil region (51) and a final coil region (52) comparable to the antenna 110 with two end portions 110a and 110b described herein. In the '089 patent, the coil (50) is arranged on a substrate 55 which comprises a substrate recess (56, compare 106 herein) in the interior region (53) of the coil (50).
In FIG. 5 of the '089 patent, it can be seen that the initial and final coil regions (end portions) of the wires extend across the recess. In FIG. 6 of the '089 patent, it can be seen that the recess extends completely through the substrate. If the antenna is mounted to the substrate prior to the chip being installed in the recess (and the antenna is mounted to the front/top surface/side of the substrate, as shown), due to the fact that the antenna wires are “blocking” entry to the recess from the top/front surface of the substrate, the chip must be installed into the recess from the back (bottom) side of the substrate, as indicated by FIG. 6 of the '089 patent.
FIG. 7 of the '089 patent shows the subsequent (inter)connection of the terminal areas 59 of the chip unit 58 to the initial coil region 51 and to the final coil region 52 by means of a thermode 60 which under the influence of pressure and temperature creates a connection by material closure between the wire conductor 20 and the terminal areas 59, as an overall result of which a card module 64 is formed.
FIG. 1C shows the chip 108, having two terminals 108a and 108b is disposed in the recess 106 in a substrate (generally designated 104). The chip 108 may be rectangular, having a height dimension “h1” and a width dimension “w1”. The chip 108 may measure 5.0 mm by 8.0 mm. The terminals 108a and 108b may be approximately 1.5 mm wide, and may be generally located just within the left and right (as viewed) side edges of the chip 108. The recess 106 may also be rectangular (having the same shape as the chip), and may be only slightly larger than the chip, such as 0.1 mm greater than the chip in both height and width. The recess 106 may measure 5.1 mm×8.1 mm. Generally, the recess 106 is large enough to receive the chip 108, and securely locate it, so that the chip 108 does not shift position after being disposed in the recess 106.
End portions 110a and 110b of the antenna wire 110 pass directly over respective terminals 108a and 108b on the chip 108, and are subsequently bonded thereto, as discussed above. The wire 110 may have a diameter of approximately 0.1 mm. The end portions 110a and 110b of the antenna wire 110 are spaced a distance “s1” apart from one another. The distance s1 is less than the chip width dimension w1, to ensure that the end portions 110a and 110b of the antenna wire 110 are positioned over the respective terminals 108a and 108b of the transponder chip 108.
The dashed lines extending from the top (as viewed) of the end portion 110a and the bottom (as viewed) of the end portion 110b indicate that the wire 110 continues, forming the antenna coil (see, for example, FIG. 1A). The round dots at the bottom (as viewed) of the end portion 110a and the top (as viewed) of the end portion 110b indicate that the wire ends (stops, does not continue).
A similar situation, wherein the end portions of the antenna wire spanning (or “bridging”) the recess, directly above the chip terminals, is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,089 (“089 patent”), incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
A problem with the technique of mounting the end portions of the antenna wire so that they bridge (span across) the recess for the chip is that if the chip is installed (in the recess) from the front (antenna) side of the substrate it must be installed before the antenna is mounted (consequently, the antenna must be mounted with the chip in place). Else, if it is desired to install the chip after the antenna is mounted, the recess must extend all the way through the substrate (as a “window”) and the chip must be installed from the opposite side of the substrate.
It is further discussed in the 089 patent that that a single ultrasonic instrument can be used both for fixation of the wire (mounting the wire on the substrate), and for connection of (bonding) the wire to the terminals of the chip. (column 15, lines 33-36)
The process described above with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 of the 089 patent also offers the possibility, by appropriate choice of the points of fixation of the wire conductor on the substrate, of guiding the wire conductor away diagonally via the terminal areas, in order to increase the overlap between the wire conductor and the terminal areas. Also, several chips or other elements arranged in series on, or in, a substrate can be connected by means of the wire conductor in the manner represented in FIG. 14. (column 14, lines 39-47)
FIGS. 16 and 17 of the 089 patent show that a chip (132) may be introduced into the recess (114), after fixation of the wire conductor (113) on the surface of the substrate. As is evident, in order to accomplish this, the recess (114) extends fully through the substrate, and the chip is introduced from the opposite side of the substrate. Ends of the wire pass over the recess, generally in alignment with positions corresponding to terminals on the chip. After the chip is installed (FIG. 16), a connecting instrument enables a connection of the wire conductor to the corresponding terminal area. Also, as discussed in the 089 patent, in order to enable a positioning of the chip that is suitable for contacting of the wire conductor, the chip (132) is equipped on its contact side with a bridge-tape alignment aids (135), arranged adjacent to a terminal area, which provide for correct relative positioning via guide bevels (136).